Lesson summary for:The Hobbit: When scientists disagree about the evidence

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Overview:This classroom activity, adapted from an exercise on PBS's NOVA website, provides an excellent example of an active debate within the scientific community regarding a relatively recent human fossil find, Homo floresiensis.

Author/Source:Visionlearning

Grade:9-12

Discipline:Life Science

Time:One class period

Teaching tips:This activity highlights the ways in which scientists can interpret scientific evidence in different ways, how scientists build arguments to support their claims, and how assumptions can influence interpretation. However, we don't recommend having students take a poll about which premise is best supported (as recommended in the teacher's guide), since this might give students the incorrect idea that scientific ideas are judged based on popularity.